A Royal Romance
by LiliacSkies
Summary: ROYAL AU: In preparation for Ben's coronation, King Beast organises a Summer Court to help him find a bride. The daughters of Maleficent and The Evil Queen infiltrate the court with the intentions of bringing Auradon to the ground in the name of their parents, wronged by history many years ago. But with new friendships forming and romance blossoming, will they pick Evil after all?
1. Prologue

**Prologue: A Bitter Beginning**

 _Once upon a time, the Magic Kingdoms lived in harmonious peace. There was no good nor evil, no fight to be won or war to be conquered. The kingdoms thrived; there was no competition to be won nor war to seek asylum from. All was balanced; at peace._

 _Maleficent was a beautiful young woman, gifted with powerful fairy magic and a shiny golden heart. She wanted to bring the wonders of magic to the world, to inspire many to seek the beauties of nature. However, doing so was a lonely journey, nor an easy one by any means. Magic had often been seen as dangerous and destructive, as it had been seen in the Dark Ages. Of course, fairy magic wasn't known for it's destructive nature, and more so for the beauty it carried._

 _Maleficent had found herself wandering the forests of the kingdoms for weeks; lost, alone, and famished. She'd been travelling to one of the oldest kingdoms around; Enchancia. Rumour had it that they had books written by the first fairies to roam the earth in their village library, and Maleficent had picked up her simple life and travelled there without a second thought._

 _Nature had provided for her at first in her travels, but with her energy weakened from starvation, it was only a matter of days before she could no longer travel nor feed off the world around her. She could still feel the gentle buzz in the air, flowing through her body yet not potent enough to truly give her anything. Soon, the trees that she would once call her friends had begun morphing into one large maze of greens and browns, unrecognisable from each other._

 _Fortunately, one rainy night, she stumbled across a small yet luxurious castle in the forests of Auradon, a small kingdom that had only recently flourished. The castle was beautiful, with stained glass windows and white painted brick. It wasn't uncommon for flourishing kingdoms to have a small castle or palace to reside in while the kingdom was being built, and Maleficent was hoping that whomever resided in the castle would trade a night of shelter for her knowledge of the Magic Kingdoms. With hope in her heart, Maleficent knocked on the large oak doors, hoping for food or shelter from the dreary night._

 _A young prince opened the door, his face scrunched in disgust at Maleficent's appearance. His suit was prim and pressed, not a single crease in sight. He was the stark opposite to the woman in front of him, drenched in rainwater and wearing a simple dark purple maiden dress and a thick black cloak overtop. The dress was torn and muddied at the trim, and the Prince didn't miss the woman's lack of shoes. The cloak, although once worn to shield from the wind and harsh weather, now wore many holes and tears, some messily repaired with scraps of mismatched fabric._

 _"May I help you?" the Prince asked skeptically, taking the woman in front of him to be a beggar._

 _"Please Sir, do you have a spare room or food for the night?" Maleficent asked pleadingly, "I've been travelling for days to Enchancia and-"_

 _"Absolutely not," the Prince answered in distain, nose upturned in disgust, "We can't allow for someone like you to reside in such a fine place like this."_

 _Maleficent continued to plead. She didn't understand why, despite all the kindness she had shown people throughout her time, no one would show her an ounce back. She'd spent the better part of the last few seasons as a lone traveller, passing by from kingdom to kingdom without a friend in sight. All she wanted was to spread the joy and beauty of magic to those that had forgotten it, yet no one would ever look at her with the respect she desired so passionately._

 _The anger inside her began growing as the Prince continued to insult her, laughing at her soaked cloak and dirty clothes, her messy unnaturally purple hair and the mud on her cheek. Her anger grew so strong that her eyes began glowing green, and suddenly, something overtook her._

 _"You are a foolish, greedy Prince," Maleficent began, smirking in satisfaction as the Prince suddenly took a step back in fear, "You want to live in luxury? Fine. So be it."_

 _Despite the screaming ache in her body, Maleficent invoked on her powers, feeling the rush of energy flow through her blood as the clouds above her began thundering, the wind picking up its pace bitterly. The trees and the earth were with her once again. The doors of the palace swung open, hitting the creamy white walls harshly. Leaves and twigs flew around inside the grand room and around the Prince._

 _"Let the face of the selfish Prince be torn," Maleficent chanted, her green eyes somehow burning more brightly, "Let him live trapped in his own beastly ways, as he is no longer a prince, but a monster."_

 _"What are you doing?" the Prince screamed in agony as he felt his body shift, hair sprouting from his hands as his bones slowly fractured and readjusted._

 _"And let the curse be lifted only when the Prince learns to love and be loved," Maleficent continued, eying a bouquet of roses in a golden vase inside the palace. With her gaze, the vase broke, "If the Prince has not learnt love by the fall of the last petal of the last rose, he will remain cursed as a beast for the rest of time, as will the rest of the palace inhabitants."_

 _With a final flick of her wrist, the curse was set, the doors swinging back closed behind her with a satisfying lock. She calmly walked away from the castle as the Prince screamed and cried, his body shifting into the form of a monster. She simply ignored him. She disappeared through the thick forestry, her hand caressing the trunks of the nearby trees. The rain had stopped, yet the forest still felt alive._

 _A particular young raven had watched the scene with the prince, intrigued at this fairy. He'd never seen someone quite so particular in his young life. Leaving behind his nest with his brothers, he followed the fairy, eventually perching himself on her shoulder. Maleficent simply smiled at the bird, stroking his feathered head._

 _She'd felt a surge of power within her, something new..._

 _She felt wicked._

 _And so began the reign of Maleficent, the Empress of Evil. Where she had once been a lowly traveller, she'd learnt to harness the powers given to her. Spells and hexes required no effort, something that hadn't been seen from the Dark Ages. She cursed all who did not show kindness in her presence. She raised the earth beneath her enemies and those who did not comply, nature being her greatest ally. Her name became feared, and with fear, also came respect, and popularity. Some applauded her deeds, including Queen Grimhilde of the Enchanted Forest, who soon became Maleficent's loyal accomplice._

 _The Magic Kingdoms became divided. Many royal families believed Maleficent to be a wicked sorceress who should be imprisoned, not a fairy. Others believed she was simply weeding out those who were unfit to rule. Most simply feared her._

 _However, Maleficent's heart darkened further. There was one curse that truly changed her, and that was her curse against Aurora, a young princess who had done nothing evil in her life, but would have to pay for her parents sins against nature and herself._

 _Also, they didn't invite her to her christening. That was unacceptable._

 _"Listen well, all of you. The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who meet her," Maleficent had begun in the royal palace, where of course, she attended the christening anyway, "But before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like death! A sleep from which she will_ never _awaken!"_

 _Maleficent paused her curse, looking at the baby in her cot. The bright blue eyes of the baby stared at her, but not in fear. With curiosity, the same curiosity she'd once worn when watching her late mother practice magic. Something inside her stirred. Something she believed was... Pity. She hadn't felt pity in quite some time._

 _"The princess_ can _be woken from her death sleep," Maleficent corrected herself, ignoring everyone around her, "But only by...true love's kiss. This curse will last till the end of time! No power on Earth can change it!"_

 _It was this curse that truly changed Maleficent forever. Gone was the young woman who spent her life protecting nature. She was vicious, awful, and was ready to make the Magic Kingdoms fall to their knees._

 _That is, until she encountered her weakness; she fell in love._

 _It was unexpected, truly. She had lost her belief in love many years ago, but when she met Mor'du, a man with incomparable kindness in his brave heart, she fell. And hard._

 _And so did he. Despite the evil deeds Maleficent had committed, he saw her for who she truly was; a fairy that had been wronged one too many times. He became her weakness, and soon, Maleficent found herself wanting to escape the Magic Kingdoms and live a flourishing life with him, far away from anything that would try to stop her._

 _With Maleficent's followers behind them, they formed The Moors; a forest kingdom on the outskirts of the Magic Kingdoms, with evergreen forests and beautiful sceneries. The water was always limpid, glistening undisturbed in the rivers that ran throughout The Moors. Two waterfalls lived on the edges of the grand lake, which seated Maleficent's throne, created from precious stones and the most beautiful flowers she could invoke. Homes were erected, created from the wood and plants of the land, and hidden within the thick forest that overtook the vast majority of The Moors._

 _Those who believed in Maleficent's deeds inhabited the kingdom, and soon, it became one of the most beautiful kingdoms to have graced the earth. The people were happy, the village flourishing, and the children would spend the warmest of seasons by the lake, Maleficent often playing with them and wishing she too could have an heir._

 _Maleficent took this time to retire and enjoy what was left of her life with her husband by her side, and to enjoy magic for what it was meant to be used for; for good. She cherished and preserved nature, and Mor'du learnt from her ways to do just the same._

 _Unbeknownst to her in her idilic paradise, something had changed in the Magic Kingdom. The firs Prince she had cursed once upon a time, Prince Adam, had too learnt to love. He had changed back from his beastly appearance into a handsome King, crowning him the new King of Auradon alongside his wife, Belle. Belle was a woman with far too much kindness in her heart, yet with a sharp wit and fire inside her. Her intelligence was incomparable to anyone he had ever met, her tongue as sharp as the edges of the paper in the many books she read._

 _Belle showed him the good that lay beyond first appearances, and although he had learnt his lesson, he had also heard of how Maleficent had terrorised the Magic Kingdoms for far too long in his absence. With his wife alongside him and a kingdom to rebuild, King Adam was ready to seek revenge against the evil enchantress._

 _He began looking for allies against his fight with Maleficent, and soon found a woman known as Fairy Godmother, who had been slowly but surely undoing the damage of the magic Maleficent had left in the world. She was a mysterious and secretive woman, having been a mentor to many fairies that roamed the Magic Kingdoms. Upon their meeting, however, surprising news had emerged._

 _"You must be so excited," Fairy Godmother had gushed to Belle, the newly crowned Queen of Auradon, "How far along are you?"_

 _"Excuse me?" Belle asked in confusion, an excited smile appearing on Fairy Godmothers face._

 _"Oh my!" Fairy Godmother continued, the joy evident in her whole being, "You're with child, Dear!"_

 _Celebration ensued almost immediately, the palace staff congratulating a startled Belle. Joy overtook the King and Queen, hands clasped hopefully at the prospect of growing their family; of having an heir that would continue the good work they had set out to do._

 _"But I must warn you," Fairy Godmother continued, "There is a chance that the child will carry whatever leftover magic Maleficent left in your genes, especially after having been spelled for so long. It wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened as a result of her wrongdoings, so do be careful in their upbringing."_

 _And suddenly, King Adam had an idea._

 _He'd had a private meeting with Fairy Godmother later that night. Blinded by his need for revenge, and Fairy Godmothers need for peace to return to the Magic Kingdom, they created a plan._

 _The child would be used as a vessel of magical energy to cast a curse on Maleficent, the same curse she'd cast on King Adam. She'd be cursed into a beast by her own magic and banished to the Moors, unable to leave for the rest of eternity. The curse could only be broken by someone of Maleficent's own bloodline, which didn't exist, making the curse virtually unbreakable. It wasn't Dark Magic, but Fairy Godmother had secretly not been proud of aiding the plot._

 _They kept this plan a secret from Queen Belle, as she would never support anything that could put her child in danger. She had always been so strongly against violence that the King had feared she would object to even having any guards in Auradon. And so, when Prince Ben was born, an invite to the royal christening was sent to the Moors, addressed to the King and Queen._

 _Eager to repair her wrongdoings and apologise for all she had put King Adam through, Maleficent and her King made their way to Auradon, now the thriving capital of the Magic Kingdoms many years after King Adam's rise to the throne. Baring gifts of kindness and prosperity, Maleficent was eager to restore her relationships with the royals of the Magic Kingdoms._

 _Unfortunately, it had been far too late._

 _Upon arrival, the room fell to silence. King Adam had greeted them warmly, the crowds of royals parting as Maleficent and Mor'du walked towards the King. Everyone eyed the pair and their King wearily, some going as far as hiding their children inside their hoop skirts. Belle, with confusion etched onto her face and motherly duty already embedded within her, moved to stand over her sons cot protectively._

 _"Let today be a day of change," King Adam proclaimed to his subjects as Fairy Godmother approached his side, a gentle yet wary smile on her face, "For today, we leave evil behind us once and for all."_

 _"Indeed," Fairy Godmother continued with a strained smile, wand grasped tightly in her hand._

 _"Fairy Godmother, the honour is all yours," King Adam confirmed, stepping aside._

 _"What's happening?" Mor'du whispered to his wife, clasping her hand tightly._

 _"Listen well, all of you," Fairy Godmother began, repeating Maleficent's curse as her wand and Prince Ben started to glow, the child crying as if it were paining him, "Let the face of the selfish Monarch be torn, and let them be changed to a hideous monster."_

 _Fairy Godmother waved her wand towards the two Monarchs. However, realising what as about to happen, Mor'du quickly pushed his wife aside by their interlocked hands, the spell colliding with his body painfully._

 _A scream broke through the room._

 _"NO!" Maleficent screamed at the sight of her husband painfully changing, from what was once a kind and handsome King to a beast. A large, brown bear with piercing blue eyes that reminded Maleficent of the blue skies they had married under._

 _Maleficent's own eyes started to glow green, her hands shaking as green orbs formed in her palms, anger and pain overtaking her. How dare they ruin the one thing she loved more than nature itself?! She began throwing the orbs in hysterics and with no real aim, desperate to avenge her husband._

 _"And let her live in banishment in her own kingdom," Fairy Godmother continued the curse, aiming her wand at the fairy, "For the power of evil is good as none when left standing as one."_

 _The curse hit Maleficent painfully as the room was evacuated, leaving just the royal family of Auradon and Fairy Godmother to watch as Maleficent shrivelled down onto the floor. A scream erupted from the fairy before, with a puff of green smoke, she was gone. Ben too had stopped glowing, the cries subsiding as he began sleeping in his cot peacefully._

 _"It worked," King Adam realised gleefully, turning to his wife, "It worked!"_

 _However, his smile soon disappeared at the sight of his injured wife. One of Maleficent's orbs had grazed Belle's arm, leaving a small laceration on her bicep and a bloodied tear through her dress. The King also regretfully noticed that one of the orbs had barely missed his own sun, instead leaving a smoking hole in the cot by his head. The King felt his blood run cold._

 _"And_ what _exactly worked Adam?" Belle asked angrily through gritted teeth, her head held high, "Putting our child in danger? Because you most definitely succeeded in that."_

 _"Belle," Adam tried in vain._

 _"You could've killed him!" Belle screeched, holding her arm painfully, "You could've killed our son, and for what? Revenge on a woman who might have just seen in you what I've somehow missed all these years?"_

 _"If I could just explain-"_

 _"You're not the man I married," Belle concluded, standing tall as she pulled the crown off her head, thrusting it into Adams hands, "Or maybe you have been this whole time. If this is who you truly are, then I'm sorry, but I can't rule by your side."_

 _That was the last anyone ever saw of Belle. She disappeared from Auradon that very evening, bringing nothing with her but a golden locket, the crest of the royal family etched into it. Guards spent days trying to find her, tearing through the Magic Kingdoms, but with no trails left to follow, King Adam proclaimed that she had died during the fight against Maleficent._

 _The Kingdom mourned, but became stronger in the aftermath of the defeat of the most famous villain to have lived. Ben grew to be a kind Prince, unlike his father had. Fairy Godmother continued her duties as a Royal Advisor, and took it upon herself to educate all young royals of Auradon and neighbouring kingdoms. She truly became the children's godmother._

 _Ben grew up knowing that his mother had loved him, and had been murdered due to Maleficent's actions. He learnt what evil was, and he despised it. He'd stop at nothing to make sure it had been eradicated from the kingdom he would one day rule._

 _Meanwhile, Maleficent grieved the loss of her one true love in the decaying Moors. When banished, a wall of thorns had erected around the kingdom, leaving her subjects trapped alongside her. Her magic was no longer fruitful, the pain of losing her one true love paining her so deeply. She wanted revenge. She wanted to make King Adam suffer, for taking away Mor'du's rights of fatherhood._

 _For that summer, Belle hadn't been the only one with child._


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: The world I have created for this AU is a combination of the standard fairy-tale medieval world, as well as a little taste of a more modern world. For example, more modern kingdoms will have things such as irrigation systems and plumbing, but they won't have modern technology. It should be noted that my intention is not to make any part of this world historically accurate to any specific time period._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Royal Idea**

Auradon was the thriving capital of the Magic Kingdoms. With its luxurious green fields and thriving community, it was considered the perfect place to live. No one was hungry or unhappy. Hundreds of people lived in perfection, in immaculate cottages with thatched roofs and freshly picked fruit on their tables every morning. The streets were lined with colourful flowers and smooth cobble stones, with children laughing as they ran through the marketplace.

Above Auradon's bustling market, at the top of a great hill, stood the Auradon Royal Palace. It proudly glistened in the sun, with its smooth white stone walls and golden ornamented towers. Tall blue stained-glass windows were scattered on the palace walls, with wide crenelations lining the tops. A golden gate stood strong and proud, holding the large bridge of the entrance. A vast mote surrounded the castle, it's bank masked with fragrant flowers and shrubs.

Prince Ben stared out into the vast fields surrounding the Kingdom from his fathers study, peering through the stained glass curiously. He'd always wondered what laid beyond the Magic Kingdoms; what people lived beyond the reign of his father and his associates. And one day, he hoped to find out.

"Benjamin," his father scolded, causing Ben to return to the meeting at hand.

King Adam had been a fair King to the people of Auradon. He had brought the kingdom great luxuries and prosperity, and had ruled with a kind, open heart. However, King Adam was also ready to give his kingdom to his eldest born, but there was just one matter they had to discuss.

"Benjamin," Lumière, his fathers assistant began, "As you are aware, your descent to the throne is... Imminent. Now that you have reached 18, your father believes you are nearly ready to take his place as the next rightful heir. However, there is one more matter we must attend before discussing your coronation-"

"Son, you need to provide this kingdom with an heir," King Adam interrupted bluntly, "And therefore, a wife. I understand you want to marry for love, but-"

"You've been ruling without a queen since I was born," Ben interrupted, "Why do I need to find a wife so urgently?"

"Precisely for that reason," Lord Cogsworth, another of his fathers assistants, explained, "Auradon has been lead without a Queen for nearly two decades. The people of Auradon want a Queen."

"We've had an idea," Lumière began excitedly, leaning forwards in his chair, "The King would invite all eligible women of royal status to visit Auradon for the summer, and lodge in our visiting quarters. This will not only be a fantastic political move, but it will allow you to meet your potential Queens-to-be."

"I'm not expecting you to marry anytime soon, son," King Adam reassured, "But I would like to see a woman by your side when you are crowned King. Your mother... Although she is gone, she shaped me into the man I am today. And I'd like to see someone do that for you."

Ben stayed silent as he took in the courts words. Although he was against the idea of marrying for power or political gain, he understood his fathers words. He wanted to become the best King he could be for Auradon, and if his mother had turned his father into the King he was today...

"Alright," Ben concluded, "I'll agree to partake in this... But I'd like for the Charming's to be present also, and for any other neighbouring Princes that would like to take part."

"But-" Lumière began arguing.

"If I'm to find love, so should they," Ben concluded, earning a smile from his father.

"Excellent," King Adam smiled, clapping his hands together, "Cogsworth, please have Dopey send off the invites by the end of the day, and have Miss Feathers prepare the visitors wing."

Despite the short notice of the King's request for the invites to be sent off by nightfall, Dopey was proud to say he had managed to write, sign and address each and every one of the invites in record time. He'd sent all the invites for the Northern and Western kingdoms, leaving just two more deliveries to be sent by courier.

Dopey smiled as he addressed one final letter, which was not an invite, but rather a letter to his old friend Queen Snow, who lived far too many kingdoms away for him to visit. He had been meaning to write for quite some time now, and was looking forwards to planning a visit in the winter time.

He was about to slip the letter into the envelope when suddenly, the door of his study slammed open, causing him to drop a stack of the invites, along with the letter.

"Dinner is almost ready!" Madame Garderobe exclaimed loudly as she waltzed into the room, eyeing the stack of invites with a grin, "Are those the final invites?"

"Yes," Dopey confirmed, calmly picking the papers up, "King Adam wanted them sent by nightfall."

"Well, you better hurry dear," Madame Garderobe explained, gliding across the room to the window, "Nightfall is minutes away, and- Oh! The courier is about to leave. See you at dinner!"

Madame Garderobe waltzed back out of the room, leaving a startled Dopey scurrying to the window in horror. He'd been so entranced in writing his letter to his friend that he'd failed to notice the change of time. With a yelp, Dopey hurriedly sealed the final envelopes, grabbing all the invites before rushing down the multiple flights of stairs of the palace, running to the stables.

He just hoped the horses hadn't left yet.

* * *

Lady Grimhilde knew the nickname given to her by the residents of the Enchanted Woods. _'The Evil Queen'_ they'd call her, and to be perfectly honest, she didn't mind one bit.

Years prior, when the revolution of magic had happened, she'd sided with Maleficent through to the bitter end. And although she was once the Queen of the Enchanted Forest, she was soon overthrown by her own subjects after Maleficent's banishment. And instead, they elected none other than her step-daughter, Snow White, to be the new Queen.

And of course Snow White, being the benevolent leader everyone believed her to be, 'allowed' for her to continue living in the palace, in her own secluded wing without servants or companionship. All she had was her daughter, Princess Evie, and the little magic left from her Magic Mirror.

Although to the world she was a reformed villain, the reality was that she was just... Waiting. She knew Maleficent would rise again, and it was only a matter of time. She made sure to teach her daughter everything she knew; from blush to poisons, from cooking to cursing. She made sure Evie was educated, but not too much, just enough to woo any prince she wanted.

The Evil Queen had created an Evil Princess, and she was just waiting for the opportunity to let her loose into the world. She knew that she could bring kingdoms to their knees if she so wished to, and if she had the opportunity. Evie was brilliant, which came with being her daughter, of course.

Thankfully, that opportunity came that morning with the courier.

Snow White had left early that morning for an important meeting, leaving The Evil Queen to snoop through her mail, as she tended to do. Many of the letters were primarily corresponding to gossip Queen Snow had been mailing her friends about, but one small, golden letter stood out.

The Evil Queen eyed the envelope with interest, and with little hesitation, tore it open. A single slip of expensive card was inside, with golden ink gracing the page. The Evil Queen brought the paper to her nose, smiling as she smelt the pure regalness of the gold. The Evil Queen read;

 _King Adam cordially invites all eligible women in the White's Royal Court to the Auradon Summer Court, in search for the next Queen of Auradon._

 _All attendees may bring one lady-in-waiting, and will be provided with lodging in the Auradon Palace._

 _Proper ball attire is required for the coronation ball at the closure of summer, to which all members of the royal families are invited._

 _Please correspond with your attendance by no later than the full moon's passing._

The Evil Queen could've screamed with joy. Not only did Snow White not have an eligible heir, but Evie was more than perfect. She was of royal descent and has just turned 18, making her the perfect candidate. The Evil Queen quickly hurried through the castle halls, eager to tell her daughter of her new upcoming trip.

After all, she'd always wanted a mother-in-law wing.

* * *

The Moors were gloomily rainy that morning, as they always were. Clouds of grey hung heavily above the tall trees of the forest, casting light shadows on the forest floor. The cold breeze did little to disturb the rickety branches of the ageing pines, barely rustling the evergreen leaves.

The Moors were one of the only enchanted forest kingdoms in existence, guarded proudly by a thick wall of thorns. The inhabitants of the kingdom were few and sparse, but each tended to the land dutifully. The tall pines of the kingdom served as shelter to the homes of the villagers, standing tall next to the vast lake that centred the Moors.

Once upon a time, the land may have been populated with colourful flowers and evergreen grass, with magnificently mystical creatures and insects. Once upon a time, the Moors were a thriving kingdom, with clear blue skies and sparkling suns.

Now, the Moors were a forgotten corner of the Magic Kingdoms, one of the only places magic could actually be found, if you cared to look hard enough. The Moors had now become infested with rumours of evil, with a reputation of mischief and disorder.

Of course, ruling the Moors was none other than Maleficent, one of the most feared Queens to ever have lived in the Magic Kingdoms.

Once upon a time, Maleficent hadn't been confined to the kingdom she now ruled. Once upon a time, she had been a powerful fairy that could make kingdoms crumble. She had been mighty once, and now she ruled with an iron fist over her land, teaching her daughter all she could about the magic she once possessed.

Her daughter, Mal, was the spitting image of her youth. With bright green eyes, snow-white skin and long purple locks, she would have been the pride and joy of her father, had he ever met her. The magic Maleficent had once possessed had thankfully been inherited by her daughter, and although Maleficent herself could no longer command magic, Mal could.

Mal hurried through the tall pines of the Moors that morning, hiking her long purple skirt up as she stepped over the protruding tree roots. She had spent the morning gathering ingredients for a potion her mother had been eager to teach her. _'The Sleeping Draught'_ , as Maleficent called it, was a mild potion to make any enemy fall into slumber. It could be altered to be a much more powerful potion if mixed with a curse, but Maleficent had wanted to start simple.

Mal hurried through the forest, past the decaying marketplace and rotting cottages. She spared no glances to the citizens of the Moors, keeping her head low underneath her black shawl. Her leather boots left light footprints in the mud as she strayed from the market and towards Maleficent's palace, or well, what was left of it.

The tall slim castle had been left unkept for far too many years, the black bricks having chipped and fallen. Many parts of the palace had decayed, leaving few rooms to actually be used. A few small towers still stood proudly, the tallest adorning a wide balcony for Maleficent to survey her land from. The grounds around the castle itself were decorated with thorn shrubs and fallen logs, the entrance to the castle locked with a simple iron key.

Mal slipped through the heavy doors of the castle, stepping into the dark palace quietly. She edged around the fraying purple carpet and made her way up the tall stone staircases towards her mothers tower, stepping over the gaps in the stairs and tightening her shawl around her at the increasing cold of the castle.

She eventually arrived to her mothers study, the most well-kept room in all the castle. Chipped wooden bookcases lined with ornaments and spell books covered the left of the room, a large cluttered dark oak desk at the end of the room. A fraying tapestry covered the opposite wall, with a map of the Magic Kingdoms embroidered into it. A large cracked mirror was leant against the little space between the door and the tapestry, the gilded frame now dull and marked, but the mirror itself held no sign of wear.

Behind the desk stood Queen Maleficent, looking over the Moors through the cracked stained-glass window of the study. She whipped her head around to face her daughter at the sound of the door closing, a wicked smile on her face.

"A little late, aren't we Mal?" Maleficent scolded as she slowly crept around the desk, "No matter now; have you got the ingredients?"

"Yes mother," Mal obediently replied, pulling the small vials from her battered bag as she approached her mother, "I also-"

"Ah! Before we begin todays lesson, I need you to connect me to the magic mirror," Maleficent interrupted, pulling her torn gown aside as she hurried over to the bookshelves, "Child, pick up the mirror, chop chop."

"Yes mother," Mal replied as she unravelled the shawl from around her face, allowing for her long purple curls to fall free. She carefully placed her bag and the shawl on a nearby chair before moving to grab the mirror, holding it's heavy fame in her hands.

Maleficent took in her appearance through the glass of the mirror, nodding in approval before motioning to her daughter, "Alright, cast the spell."

Mal closed her eyes, concentrating on the weight of the once enchanted mirror in her hands. Although her mother could no longer cast spells, she'd learnt the trade quite quickly. Concentrating on connecting to the Evil Queens own magic mirror, Mal murmured the quiet enchantment, opening her eyes in satisfaction as the mirror glowed.

"EQ?" Maleficent asked as the face of her long-time friend appeared, "Can you hear me?"

"Maleficent!" The Evil Queen exclaimed at the sight of her friend, "I have news! I have wickedly wonderful news!"

"Please, do share," Maleficent drawled, already bored at her friends enthusiasm.

"My Evie will be attending the Auradon Royal Court for the summer in preparation for Prince Ben's coronation!" The Evil Queen nearly squealed, watching in satisfaction as Maleficent's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "The prince is looking to take a wife. Imagine my Evie; Queen of Auradon, ruling over her subjects with terror and malice and-"

"How did she get invited to the royal court, but not my Mal?" Maleficent asked angrily, "Mal is as much of a princess as Evie, if not more."

"I swiped the invitation from Snow White's mail," The Evil Queen admitted, "They must have sent it by mistake, considering she has no heirs."

Maleficent paused, an idea sparking into her head, "Is the invite just for one princess?"

"And a lady-in-waiting," The Evil Queen confirmed, "Which is a problem considering Evie has no one of such titles, but I'm sure-"

"How about my Mal?" Maleficent proposed, Mal's eyes widening, "Think about it EQ. The Kingdoms used to cower in fear at the mention of our names! And now look at us, left to rot in banishment-"

"And in hidden palace wings-" The Evil Queen muttered.

"Remember? When we were spreading evil and ruining lives?" Maleficent pressed.

"Like it was yesterday," The Evil Queen mused, lost in her memories for a moment, "Evie is the spitting image of my youth, you know?"

"What a future she has to look forwards to..." Mal muttered quietly.

"Our girls could change the future of the Magic Kingdoms," Maleficent continued, excitement growing, "Mal has become quite talented in her magic. Imagine, just as Evie is crowned Queen of Auradon, Mal could curse the Prince into becoming a beast just like his father. And who will they turn to for help?"

"Their Queen of course," The Evil Queen realised, "Oh Maleficent, it's an excellent plan!"

"Hold on," Mal interrupted from behind the mirror, poking her head out from behind the tall object, "Who says I'm going? I don't want to spend half of my year surrounded by prissy pink princesses."

"You're thinking small pumpkin," Maleficent interrupted, "It's all about world domination! If you were to cast the curse on the prince, you could free me, and together, we can rule the Magic Kingdoms to our will."

"Our will," The Evil Queen interjected.

"And if you don't do it, you won't ascend to the throne as Queen of the Moors," Maleficent added casually, a wicked smirk on her face.

Mal paused, "But-"

"Take it or leave it pumpkin," Maleficent shrugged, picking at her nails.

Mal hesitated. It was risky. It was incredibly risky, but in reality, she didn't have a choice. She'd spent her whole life dreaming of becoming just like her mother, to rule The Moors, and this was her one shot. She wanted to give the people of The Moors a better life, because as of right now, she could barely stand to look at them in shame. She truly didn't have a choice.

"I'll do it," Mal agreed, quickly adding, "But I'm not wearing a petticoat."

Maleficent smirked, "The future of the free world rests on your shoulders, Mal. Don't blow it. Now, EQ, shall we discuss preparations?"


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Enchanted Forest**

The last two weeks of Mal's life had been spent planning, learning and casting. Every single moment every day had been spent under her mothers careful watch and training, working out every precise detail needed for the success of their plan.

When the day finally came for Mal to travel to the Enchanted Forest, she was ready. She'd packed her mothers old trunk with the best gowns she could find in their palace, dressing herself in a modest purple long-sleeved maiden dress, one very similar to the one Maleficent had worn in her travels as a girl. She was to meet Evie in her palace before the two would travel up together the next morning, as to not arise suspicion.

The sun had barely risen when Mal began preparing for her travels. With her trunk firmly grasped in one hand, Mal stared out into the Moors for the last time from her mothers balcony. The remnants of her mothers throne sat drearily on top of the dull lake, no life to be found in the rubble. She was going to return victorious, no matter what.

"And remember dear," Maleficent coo'ed, eerily curling her hand around her daughters shoulder before whispering, "Don't blow it."

Mal nodded nervously, giving the ruined kingdom one final fleeting look before turning away, following her mother through the crumbling corridors to the front of the castle, where two of Maleficent's henchmen awaited.

"Knuckleheads, help my daughter carry her trunk to the thorn walls," Maleficent ordered, turning to her daughter one last time, "Good luck pumpkin, and come back soon."

"I will mother," Mal nodded, and with one final stern look, the two parted ways.

Mal knew her mother loved her, she really did. But she also knew that emotions meant weakness, and she wasn't going to be weak, especially not in front of her. Her mother hadn't disclosed much about how she was imprisoned, but she knew that some people had wronged her in more ways than she could ever imagine. She knew that there was a reason for the Mistress of Evil to be evil, and she was eager to take after her mothers footsteps.

The walk to the wall of thorns was spent in silence as Mal tried to ease her nerves. No one had crossed the wall in years. She knew it was enchanted to keep Maleficent in, but no one had attempted to wade their way through the thorns in fear of being cursed themselves. Mal, however, had no option but to try.

Upon arriving to the wall of thorns, Maleficent's goons set the trunk down silently, watching expectantly as Mal looked through the wall.

The thick vines created an even thicker wall than Mal imagined, with few and far between gaps between each vine. The thorns were large and sharp, dauntingly so. With a gulp, Mal reached her hand forwards and touched one of the vines.

To her surprise, nothing happened. She expected to be thrown back against a tree or to burst into flames, but the vine was... Normal. Tough, but normal. She grabbed the handle of her trunk, and slowly but surely, began ducking through the vines and thorns, carefully making her way through the first layer of the wall.

"Tell my mother I'll be back soon!" Mal called through the thorns as Maleficent's henchmen were left dumbfounded. Upon not receiving a reply, Mal began climbing through the vines and thorns further, leaving behind the world she'd once known.

It took Mal an hour to evade the walls that had once confined her. She'd only managed to injure herself once on a thorn, and although it had sliced the sleeve of her dress open, it wasn't too painful. On the other side, however, she was shocked at the world surrounding her.

The Moors had always been tinted with tones of dark greys and blacks, but on the outside, everything was light. The grass was an unnaturally happy tone of green, and flowers seemed to actually be blossoming. The sky was no longer an ugly shade of grey, shrouded in stormy clouds, but instead it was turning from the golden orange of the sunrise into a baby blue, not a cloud in sight.

And although Mal found everything a little too bright for her taste, a small part of her couldn't deny that, maybe, it was a little bit beautiful.

Mal opened her trunk and grabbed her spell book, or rather, her mothers spell book. Inside, Maleficent had written all the best incantations inside the leather-bound brown book, sealed with a golden dragon crest and embedded with four colourful jewels. Mal had planned on turning something in the outside world into a carriage, but she couldn't see any pumpkin patches nearby, and she wasn't sure how good a shrub would be.

Just as she began to accept the fate of walking to the Enchanted Forest, she spotted something flying above her. Had she been a stranger, she would've assumed it was any other old raven. However, Mal recognised the pattern of the ravens wings, and recognised it as her mothers familiar. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Diablo!" Mal called, and just as she did so, the bird obediently flew down to her, perching itself on top of her trunk. Beady eyes watched her curiously, as if he was spying for her mother.

She flipped through the pages of the spell book, searching and finding a simple spell that would help her. Scanning over the page a few times, she looked at the bird hopefully.

"Let's hope this works," Mal muttered, reading out the incantation, " _Noble steed, proud and fair, you shall take me anywhere."_

Mal held her breath as she watched the raven suddenly grow, first into twice its size, continuing until Diablo was as big as a small dragon, yet still held all the elegance of a raven.

"Well, that worked," Mal breathed in relief, caressing the ravens beak and it's feathered head, much like her mother would, "Let's hope I'm not afraid of heights, right Diablo?"

The raven bent down to allow for Mal to climb onto it's back. He lifted himself off the ground just slightly, allowing Mal to get used to the flapping wings. Grasping the trunk between his claws, Diablo prepared himself for the journey.

"To the Enchanted Forest," Mal commanded gently, excitement filling her body as, suddenly, they were riding through the air.

* * *

The Magic Kingdoms had been a breathtaking sight for Mal, considering she'd only ever been in one place her whole life. From Diablo's back, she'd been able to see parts of the world she'd never dreamed before, and all in a short journey's time.

They flew over many smaller kingdoms, yet their size would tell nothing of their richness. Even in such early hours, the world was alive, bustling with joy. Mal wished to one day lead The Moors in such prosperity, in a world where the sunlight would brighten up even the darkest of days. She watched in awe as they flew over palaces twice the size of The Moors themselves. Mal could only dream of the riches of those kingdoms.

At one point, Diablo had flown lower to the ground as they skimmed over a large lake, Mal outstretching her hand in glee as she created ripples in the vast yet desolated lake, only a few swans to watch their mischief. It was euphoric, knowing that she was free to do how she pleased in such a vast world.

They soon arrived at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, away from the village itself. Diablo landed in the thickest part of the forest, away from prying eyes. As soon as Mal had climbed off his back and grasped her trunk, he shrunk back to his normal size, resting on Mal's arm diligently.

If a passerby had stumbled upon them, they'd see Mal looking like the spitting image of her mother.

"Thank you Diablo," Mal coo'ed, stroking his feathers, "You better go back to my mother soon. Take care of her for me, yeah?"

Diablo nodded, eager to return to his mistress. With one final stroke of his feathers, Mal let the bird go.

She watched as he soared through the blue sky, spinning through the air above her. With a parting smile, Mal turned to the forest, grasping her trunk tightly. She began heading through the forest, making her way to the White Palace, just north of the forest.

 _The adventure begins here_.

* * *

Evie anxiously flittered from room to room of the palace, making sure everything was clean and tidy for Maleficent's daughters arrival. She'd dusted every nook and cranny of the wing, but it never hurt to check. She was excited to say the least. I mean, who wouldn't be? Not only was the daughter of one of her biggest idols about to arrive, but they were to leave for the whole summer for a _royal_ event, in which she would eventually be crowned _Queen of Auradon!_

Evie had spent the majority of the morning curling her hair and immaculately applying her makeup. She'd already packed her trunks for the summer, dozens of beautiful gowns tightly packed together to ensure she'd be the fairest of them all. Her mother had assured her of Maleficent's daughters powers being more than satisfactory to ensure her rise to the throne, and Evie had yet to calm the bounce in her step.

She'd just finished placing the final touches on a withering bouquet of flowers when a knock echoed through the front door of the secluded building. One perk of living in their own wing meant that Evie and The Evil Queen were separate from the palace itself, residing in a smaller building just hidden behind it, meaning their guests were mysteries to the White family. Any of their allies could come in and out without a single royal suspecting a thing.

Evie quickly rushed to the door, stopping to take a deep breath and smooth out her skirt. Although their mothers talked frequently, Evie had never seen Mal's appearance, and could only assume her appearance from the snippets of information her mother had given her. Enchanting purple hair and piercing green eyes were all she knew, and Evie had imagined the poise and regalness of Maleficent echoed onto her daughter. With that in mind, she excitedly opened the door.

In all honesty, Evie had expected someone a little more... Presentable. Instead, standing in front of her was a girl that could've been a peasant, had she known any less. With her plain purple maiden dress (void of any decoration or embroidery), sickly pale skin and purple hair held in a messy bun, Evie would've never guessed she was Maleficent's daughter if it weren't for the wide piercing green eyes staring back at her.

"You must be Mal!" Evie exclaimed enthusiastically, filing away her disappointment and stepping aside, "Please, come in! My mother is out completing an errand, but she should be back soon. Is that your real hair colour? It's so gorgeous!"

Mal was taken aback from Evie's peppiness. She'd assumed she'd be a lot more like her mother; bored with life and a little more… Evil, really. However, she wasn't about to underestimate her, the brightness in her eyes easily translatable to ambition, and instead followed her through the wing, carrying her small trunk behind her.

Mal had assumed that the building would be well-kept like a royal palace, but it was unfortunately not the case. Having no servants or help, the Evil Queen rarely tidied the house herself. Evie had been the one to take care of the house when she was old enough to hold a broom, and despite her best efforts, the wooden walls still held signs of age, with the floor holding missing floorboards and gaps. However, it was still _far_ more well-kept than her own home, and left Mal a little breathless.

"The carriage will be taking us to Auradon tomorrow morning at sunrise," Evie rambled as she quickly paced down the hallway towards her room, "Which gives us plenty of time to get to know each other and swap dresses and do makeovers and-"

"Do what?!" Mal demanded as they reached Evie's room.

Mal contained a gasp as her eyes fell on the blue-haired princesses room. Although they weren't as rich as the principal royal family, Evie had made-do with anything she could find. Her double bed adorned a dark blue canopy, the dark wood of the bed frame making the red covers pop. The walls were painted a midnight blue, and although the paint had chipped in many parts, it was still hundreds of times neater than Mal's room had been.

A large oak bookshelf was pressed against the wall on the left of the room, cluttered with books upon books, many of which surprisingly appeared to be textbooks. A soft padded bench made of patchwork blue fabric was nestled underneath the nearby window on top of a large brown trunk, which Mal assumed contained fabrics of sorts as she spotted Evie's spinning wheel and sewing table. In addition to a well-kept vanity and dark blue rug, Mal also spotted a large painting of Evie and her mother hung next to the biggest mirror she had ever seen.

"Sorry for the mess," Evie apologised profusely, despite the room being as immaculate as could be, "And obviously I'm giving you a makeover, silly. If you're going to be my lady-in-waiting, we need to tidy up those split ends and bring some colour to your face."

"Right. No thanks," Mal declined, "I'm perfectly presentable like this."

"Sure you are," Evie replied sassily as she picked up a hair brush and scissors from her vanity, "You might be the Princess of The Moors, but you'll find that the Magic Kingdoms have different standards of grooming. Now come on, the faster you accept this is happening, the sooner it'll be over."

"I am _not_ letting you cut my hair," Mal protested, backing away from Evie, "Do you do this to everyone who comes to visit?"

"Only those who need it," Evie shrugged, "We need to pass off as royalty, right? Plus, it's a great way for us to bond. You can tell me _all_ about The Moors, if you'd like."

"Bond?" Mal asked, "I thought you were the daughter of a villain."

"And I thought you were a future Queen-to-be, but you most certainly don't look like one," Evie replied calmly, a little bite in her words, which surprised Mal more than insulted her, "If we don't pull this off, our mothers will possibly/literally kill us, right? And my mother's not a barrel of laughs when she doesn't get her way. Just ask Snow White."

"Your point?" Mal pressed.

Evie rolled her eyes at Mal's reluctance, "My point is that we're not going to get away with this if we don't start acting like proper royalty. Did your mother never teach you royal etiquette?"

"She taught me how to hex the daylights out of her goons," Mal shrugged, smirking in satisfaction as Evie took a step back.

"I forget you're from the Moors," Evie sighed as she twirled the hairbrush between her fingers, "Just trust me on this, okay? They'll never even let us step foot into the royal palace unless we look like Auradon royalty."

Trust. That wasn't a word Mal used lightly, because in all honesty, she didn't trust many people at all. She grew up alone, with her mother constantly keeping her away from the citizens of The Moors, not wanting her to stray from the path of evil. And although she didn't resent her mother for it, sometimes she wondered what it would be like to have a friend, or to be connected with her people. She only trusted her mother and Diablo, who in turn, was really just an extension of her mother.

"Fine," Mal groaned, seating herself at the edge of Evie's bed, "But if you think we're about to become best friends forever and swap secrets, you're wrong. I'm simply doing this to-"

"To become queen of the Moors and make the Magic Kingdoms cower in fear, blah, blah," Evie teased, seating herself behind Mal, "Don't worry, I can do the talking for the both of us. So, what's your favourite colour?"


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Arrival**

Mal spent her day in the Enchanted Forest under Evie's careful guide. Evie had not only tamed the mess that was her hair, but she'd also repaired her gown and, in her words, _'glamourised it to look partly presentable'._ By the end of Evie's intervention, Mal had looked unrecognisable.

In addition to this, she'd sat Mal down and taught her as much as she could about the royal families. She told her how to act upon meeting the King, what shoes to wear for different events, and even thirteen different ways of tying her hair so that her bangs would fall in _just the right way_. By nightfall, Mal was exhausted both mentally and physically, especially after meeting The Evil Queen as well.

She lay in her overly-comfortable bed in the guest room of the wing. She couldn't sleep, and really, how could she? She'd just been thrown in a world that, although was her birth right, was far too complex for her to handle. Thankfully, she was posing as a lady-in-waiting rather than a princess, because she was one hundred percent sure she would _never_ be able to pull that off.

Evie was the perfect candidate for Queen, in Mal's opinion. It was undeniable that Evie was beautiful and poised, not to mention her wicked intentions. Although Evie hadn't been what Mal was expecting, she had witnessed sparks of evil from the girl, and that made Mal realise that they actually did have a chance at this, that they could really bring evil back into the Magic Kingdoms. Besides, Mal had never had an interest in being wed. The throne to The Moors had been her birth right; she had no reason to search for a husband. Evie, however, had _very clearly_ explained her desire for love.

Mal turned to stare at the long purple dress hanging from the side of her wardrobe. Evie had insisted on fixing the garment, and making a few alterations along with that. Crossing over her stomach and chest, Evie had added silky black ribbons with small purple embroidered flowers. She'd added a layer of black petticoat inside, much to Mal's distaste, and had altered the sleeves to fall as wide bell sleeves, the inside lined with black.

Mal didn't hate the dress. In fact, she did admit that it looked better. Along with some simple black heeled pumps (which she didn't know how to walk in, thank you Evie), she'd also been given a garland of light purple flowers to position in her hair, which was now slightly shorter and less frizzy, with gentle curls falling down her back. Evie had explained that the flowers were a custom in the Enchanted Forest, an ode to the beauty that nature provided them. That had been the only reason Mal had agreed.

Mal knew she could never truly look like an Auradon-worthy princess. She knew what they were meant to look like; heeled shoes, layers upon layers of light pink petticoats, oversized tiaras... It just wasn't her, and it would _never_ be her, and so she was glad that Evie would be taking the bulk of the scheme on by posing as a princess, because Mal knew she'd _never_ be able to pass for true royalty.

With those thoughts buzzing through her head, Mal eventually found sleep in the uncomfortably comfortable bed, the sheets tightly wrapped around her small frame.

* * *

"You're looking a little washed out," Evie noticed as her and Mal rode in her royal carriage, pulling a small compact of blush out of her handbag, "Here, let me-"

"I'm scheming," Mal interrupted, holding her hand out to stop Evie from ruining her pale complexion.

"Well it's not very attractive," Evie shrugged as she applied blush on her own cheeks.

Mal sighed, staring out of the dark blue carriage into the forestry surrounding them. They had woken up far too early for Mal's taste, but after an hour of brushing and poking and prodding, Evie had successfully made Mal presentable for a royal court. And Mal had to admit that she didn't exactly do a bad job.

Evie was, as expected, dressed to the high heavens in layers of dark blue petticoat underneath her silky blue dress. A pair of low red heels peaked out of the bottom of the dress, with a dark red apple emblem at the toe of the shoes. The corseted part of the dress was laced in black ribbon, similar to Mal's, with an off-the-shoulder cut to the short bell sleeves. The whole dress was adorned with a multitude of tiny blue crystals, which Evie later revealed were simply fragments of broken glass she'd added when making the dress herself. To crown the dress itself, she'd attached a ruby-red apple ornament to the sash around her waist, sitting proudly like a crown jewel.

To top off Evie's glamorous outfit, she'd placed a small golden tiara in the middle of her curled blue hair, once again with the same red apple emblem that had been on her shoes. Blue flowers decorated her hair, much like Mal's own. Even without the tiara or the frills, Evie truly did look like royalty. Mal had full confidence that their plan would work.

The carriage had just entered Auradon when Mal's gaze caught something... Unfamiliar. The carriage rode into the main street of one of Auradon's neighbourhoods, and Mal was shocked to see the kingdom buzzing with energy. There were people everywhere, with children running happily and playing outside their houses, to old women weaving and embroidering new dresses.

Trees flourished even on the gravel sidewalks, with actual green grass sprouting between the stones of the path. The sky was a bright blue, not a single cloud in sight, and Mal could nearly smell the flowers blooming around them. There was something magical buzzing through the air, Mal could feel it, her excitement growing as she looked out into the kingdom, in awe of the many buildings in the distance. Auradon was, for lack of better words, _enormous._

Evie, although being used to some level of living in a flourishing kingdom, hadn't left her palace many times in her life. And so, upon seeing the blooming kingdom of Auradon around her, she was too left in awe. The girls silently watched the world around them as they rode into the marketplace and to the centre of Auradon, only a half-hour away from the palace.

"Isn't it breathtaking?" Evie breathed, watching the endless stalls of food set up around them.

"Breathtakingly boring," Mal bit back, retaining her villainous composure. Although Auradon was in fact one of the most beautiful things Mal had ever seen, she wasn't about to start off their plan by going soft.

Evie was about to reply, but suddenly, something hit the front wheel of the carriage, causing the metal rod to slide out and tilt the carriage. The footman immediately came to a stop, jerking the two girls forwards and to the floor.

"Ow," Evie moaned, rubbing her head, "What happened?"

"Something hit us, perhaps a rock," the Footman calmly informed the girls, opening the carriage door and offering his hand in help, "Please, you will be more comfortable out of the carriage as I repair the wheel. It shouldn't take very long at all."

Evie graciously accepted the Footman's hand, stepping out of the carriage and into the piazza. Mal ignored the mans hand and followed Evie out, stumbling on the uneven surface of the ground. She adjusted herself to stand next to Evie, looking around curiously and basking in the feeling of the warm sunlight on her skin.

If anyone had asked her, Mal would deny the fact she had most definitely been in awe of the surroundings around her. It was one thing to see a new kingdom from the comfort of a carriage, but to see it in real life was truly astonishing.

This particular piazza wasn't very busy. Children were roaming around playing games, with their mothers nearby, knitting by the grand fountain and chatting idly. A few merchants had set up fresh fruit stalls around the edge of the piazza, in front of neatly groomed homes and buildings. However, Mal didn't quite have enough time to take in her surroundings before something hit into her side, hard.

"Hey, watch it!" Mal called to the hooded boy who'd collided into both her and Evie, who was now walking away from them speedily. She turned to Evie, "What a creep..."

"My jewel," Evie realised in a panic, her hand flying to the now empty space on her sash, "It's gone. He took my crown jewel!" In an instant, everything clicked into place for Mal.

"Don't move," Mal ordered, already slipping her shoes off her feet, "I'm going to get it back. Stay here."

"Mal, what-" Evie tried, but Mal was already gone, chasing after the mysterious hooded boy, "Your shoes-"

The boy turned, his eyes meeting with Mal as she began chasing after him. Without a second thought, he too began running, slipping through a narrow alleyway between two buildings.

"Hey!" Mal shouted, causing multiple passerby's to turn to stare at her curiously, some hiding their children, "Get back here!"

The boy continued running, slipping through alleyways and arches in a desperate attempt to escape the girl. Mal, however, kept running. She needed to think, and fast. Maleficent had taught her many enchantments and spells, surely she should be able to think of something?

" _Ligatum_!" Mal exclaimed quickly, shooting her palm out to the boy.

As expected, ropes seemed to appear out of thin air and spin around the boy, tying in knots and capturing him. He fell to the ground, the jewel bouncing out of his hand and onto the pebbled alleyway. Mal smirked at her first true demonstration of her strength.

"What the hell-" the boy cried, thrashing about wildly, "Let me go you Witch!"

"I've been called worse by my own mother," Mal sneered, grabbing Evie's jewel from the floor and holding it tightly.

"Can't imagine why," the boy sassed back, "You got your stupid fake jewel back. Now can you let me go?

"You wish," Mal smirked just as Evie approached the pair.

"There you are!" Evie exclaimed, panting from the unusual amount of running she'd just partaken in. She looked down at the boy, frowning, before handing Mal's shoes back to her, "What the-"

"I got the jewel," Mal explained, holding it up to Evie, "Now, can we go?"

"Sure," Evie sighed, taking the jewel from Mal and reattaching it to her sash, "We should still be in court with plenty of spare time, despite the unnecessary delay, and even then I'm sure we'd-"

"What about me?!" the boy on the ground exclaimed, still thrashing about.

Mal rolled her eyes, and with a wave of her hand, the ropes fell limp. As she slipped back into the uncomfortable shoes, she turned to the boy decisively, "If I ever see you again, it'll be more than ropes."

With that, Mal turned on her heel (slightly wobbling, but she wouldn't admit that), and began storming ahead, Evie soon in tow.

"Goddammit Jay," the boy muttered to himself, throwing the ropes away from him as he sat alone in the alley.

* * *

 _Allez. Aim. Miss. Dodge._

"So this whole Summer Court thing," Chad Charming began as the two Princes engaged in an early morning round of fencing, "Any chance there are any eligible ladies for yours truly?"

"You're part of the Court, Chad. See for yourself," Ben replied easily, concentrating on his footwork.

"That Audrey Princess from the Domino Kingdom is _quite_ a catch," Chad commented, "Rumour has it she's the favourite for the throne."

"Rumour from who?" Ben asked, blocking Chad's attack.

"The Royals talk," Chad replied simply, blocking Ben's attack, "Any ladies you've got your eyes on?"

"They're arriving today Chad, and they're not pieces of meat for you to ogle at," Ben replied sternly, dodging another one of Chad's attacks, "We invited anyone eligible, and _no,_ I haven't met any of them."

Chad trapped Ben's sabre in a final move, both sabres clattering to the floor loudly. Chad smirked, undoing his fencing jacket as he proudly moved to the side of the room, "I was always a better fencer than you."

"What a humble win," Ben mocked, also undoing his fencing jacket as a knock echoed through the room.

"Excuse me, your highness," Lonnie, the youngest apprentice of the Royal Musketeers, entered the room, "Your father would like me to inform you that the first Royals have arrived."

"Thank you, Lonnie," Ben smiled at his childhood friend, "I'll be downstairs shortly."

Lonnie smiled, "I'll be on my way," she announced, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"There it is," Evie breathed.

Mal peered out of the carriage, her eyes going wide at the sight of the Auradon palace.

Sure, Snow White's palace had been impressive, but _this_ was something different. The whole palace could be built in diamonds and Mal wouldn't be surprised. The whole structured shimmered in the sunlight, looking endlessly tall and large. The greenery surrounding the palace was impossibly green, the tall birch trees looking evergreen in the summer sun. The ground was pressed with lightly coloured pebbles, creating a stable path for the carriage to ride on.

Surrounding the path stood numerous bushes of flowers and berries, all brightly coloured and flourishing, too. Mal could swear she could hear the chirping of newborn birds in the air, as well as the trickling of a stream far away in the distance. In fact, the whole area surrounding the back of the palace seemed to just be an endless evergreen forest, something Mal would have to explore one day.

The carriage stopped in front of a large oak door, the golden lion emblem on the door signifying the entrance to the palace. Mal was suddenly nervous upon spotting the emblem. What if they recognised her, or realised she was the daughter of their worst enemy? She'd been told by many that she was the spitting image of her mother, and although she'd been proud of that fact, it may just ruin her this time around.

The carriage door opened before she could think. Evie gratefully took the coachman's hand as he helped her out of the carriage. Mal shortly followed, barely touching the mans hands as her feet wobbled to the floor.

The palace was even more magnificent up close. Although she would always prefer the humbleness and natural beauty of the Moors, she had to admit that the palace was a work of art. Up close, she could see the murals that had been lightly etched into the white-painted stones of the palace walls. Even the stained glass windows held a sort of beauty to them that Mal could appreciate.

"Princess Evie White, of the Enchanted Forest, accompanied by Lady Mal Fae," the Coachman announced to two identical guards with parchments in their hands, guarding the large oak door. Both peered onto the parchments before nodding to the girls.

"Your luggage will be brought to your rooms later," the Left Guard informed them as the Right Guard opened the door to the palace, "Someone will escort you to the throne room shortly."

Evie smiled gracefully at the guards, a small bow to them before following their directions simply. Mal kept her head down, following Evie quietly. They were in the palace. They were actually _inside._ Now, they had to just juke the future King. How hard could that be?

"Don't freak out," Evie whispered to Mal as they joined the growing crowd of girls in the front room of the palace, "I can feel you brooding."

"I'm not brooding, I'm _concentrating_ ," Mal argued, sniffing the air, "What on _earth_ is that smell?"

"Perfume," Evie smirked, "You should try it sometime. We need to blend in, come on."

"Hey-" Mal was about to argue, until a flourish of pink stepped in front of them.

"Are you from the Enchanted Forest? I'd recognise that emblem anywhere," the girl beamed, her pink dress perfectly pressed, "You were at the summer ball four years ago, right?"

"Yes," Evie smiled, "I'm sorry, I forget your name-"

"Audrey Rose, from the Domino Kingdom," Audrey smiled, "My mother is Sleeping-"

"-Beauty," Mal finished for her, panic building in her gut, "I've heard the name."

"Oh how rude of me," Audrey continued, turning to Mal," And you must be-"

"Lady Mal," Evie finished for her, "She's also from the Enchanted Forest."

"Clearly," Audrey replied with a slight distain, looking Mal up and down. Mal was about to bite back, but Audrey unfortunately continued, "My Lady, Jane, is just fetching me some water. Our journey was quite tiresome. She's the daughter of _the_ Fairy Godmother, you know."

"You must have quite the court," Evie commented awkwardly, "What brings you here?"

"Prince Benjamin and I have always had a connection," Audrey mused, eyes far off into the distance, "We briefly met a few years back at my cousins coronation. It was only a few minutes, but it was _magical._ I'm sure this whole thing is just a formality actually, to allow the other girls to think they have a chance."

"Excuse me-" Evie tried to interrupt.

Audrey's gaze wandered behind the two girls, "Oh! And there's Jane. If you'd excuse me. Lovely to see you again, Evie. And, um… Mal, was it?"

Audrey gave one final smile before pushing past the two girls, making sure she nudged Mal on the way. Mal glared at the back of her dress, turning to Evie.

"I hope you don't expect me to ' _fetch you water,'"_ Mal joked.

"Only if you don't expect me to act like _that,"_ Evie replied, the two sharing a small laugh.

* * *

"Is this necessary?" Ben asked as Lumière draped the Royal Cape over his shoulders, the crown on his head already overbearingly heavy.

"This is the first time some of these young ladies will meet you, your Highness," Lumière explained, "We want you to make a good first impression."

"Doesn't think make me look pompous?" Ben asked, taking a seat on the throne in the throne room as Cogsworth made his way to the door.

"Don't be ridiculous! You don't look fat."

"That's not what pompous means-"

"Your Highness," Cogsworth interrupted, "I believe we are ready?"

Ben sighed. This was going to be a long summer, "I'm ready."

* * *

"Good morning ladies!" Sir Cogsworth began, addressing the twenty-or-so Princesses and their ladies-in-waiting in the front room, "The Prince is ready to receive you. Please, do come in."

"Here we go," Mal whispered to Evie.

The two girls were the last to enter the throne room, and quite frankly, Mal wasn't impressed with what she saw. The future King of Auradon was sat on his throne, a disgustingly over-the-top golden cape covering most of his suit, while an equally over-the-top crown rested on his head. He didn't particularly look pleased, but then again, Mal probably didn't herself.

"He's handsome!" Evie whispered in excitement to Mal.

"And a little full of himself, don't you think?" Mal retorted quietly.

"He's a Prince," Evie rolled her eyes, "They all are. Besides, how can you judge him already?"

"Good morning," Ben began, standing from the throne and interrupting any and all conversations immediately, "And thank you all for attending. As my father would say, this is a momentous occasion. Not just for me, but for our peoples to rest assured that their future Kings and Queens have their best interest at hand. This summer, I hope to make allies and friendships that will last for a very, very long time."

One of the doors on the side of the room opened, a line of Princes walking into the room.

"I have taken the liberty of inviting the Princes of our neighbouring Kingdoms to attend the Summer Court with us all," Ben continued, "I am _certain_ that this summer will be one for the history books."

"An informal light-lunch will be served in a few hours," Lumière announced to the room, turning to the girls, "Ladies, we will now bring you to your rooms for the next few weeks."

* * *

"This is amazingly-"

"Gross."

"-Yeah. Amazingly _gross_."

Upon entering their room, Mal was absolutely disgusted. Who needed this much sunlight? And the tacky pink bed covers? _And_ the royal emblem in every corner? It was a little too much for Mal's taste.

"Close the curtains, I beg you," Mal complained, moving to shut the ones closest to her as Evie did the same.

"So, that wasn't too bad," Evie commented.

"Yeah, but now _you_ have the lunch to get through," Mal pointed out, "I'm glad you're the Princess in this plan."

"Oh no, you're not lazing around for this one," Evie argued, "You should explore the palace!"

Mal snorted, "Sure. You just pick a dress for the lunch-"

"A dress!" Evie exclaimed in shock, immediately throwing open her trunk, "Oh Merlin, what on _earth_ do I wear?"

Mal chuckled, leaning back onto her bed. It was even more comfortable than the one she'd slept in the previous night. Maybe she could get used to this after all.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Greenhouse**

Evie was incredibly bored.

Not only was the 'informal lunch' a _very_ _formal_ event, but Mal hadn't been permitted to come. Instead, she was stuck with a group of rather stuck-up Princesses swooning over the future King. And as much as Evie would _love_ to join them for the sake of the mission, she simply couldn't find herself attracted to the Prince in such a way. I mean, of course he was handsome, but nothing in her stirred at the sight of him.

Prince Charming, however, was a different story.

The two had been talking for a few minutes now, and although Evie found his conversational skills incredibly boring for her intellect, he _was_ next in line for the throne in the Charming Kingdom. Maybe if Ben wasn't a success, Chad could be a rather fantastic consolation prize. And so, she decided to conceal her intellectual nature, nodding and giggling along with his stories. Well, as best as she could.

"-And thats how I plan on spending my first week as King," Chad concluded his speech, which made Evie furrow her brows in confusion.

"But that's not economically viable," she blurted out, "You can't spend money designed to be used to better your irrigation system on a ten-foot statue of yourself."

"Why not?" Chad asked in confusion, "And I didn't realise the Enchanted Forest allowed their Princesses to study like Kings."

Evie frowned, "I read. A little."

"Right," Chad nodded with feigned interest, his eyes wandering behind Evie to meet Audrey's, "Now, if you'd excuse me, I have a Princess to woo."

Chad brushed past Evie easily, his eyes fixated on the pink Princess, leaving Evie on her own. She sighed, brushing the invisible dust off her skirt in embarrassment. Princes were rather pompous, Evie found.

"You were right, you know."

Evie turned around to face a doe-eyed boy with glasses and a teal suit, watching her in admiration.

"About the irrigation system," he continued awkwardly, "The Charming's don't really have a lot of there… There."

"I noticed," Evie nodded, "I heard their filters are quite primitive, compared to the ones in Auradon at least. I mean; that's what I've heard, anyway."

"Only the best under King Adams' rule," the boy joked, stretching his arm out, "I'm Doug."

"Evie," Evie greeted, shaking his hand with a little curtsy.

"So Evie," Doug began, offering his arm out for her to take, "Why don't you tell me more about the Enchanted Forest?"

Evie smiled, taking the arm gratefully, "I'd be happy to."

* * *

Mal was _bored._ She'd spent the majority of the last hour wandering the grounds of the Auradon Palace. In fact, she wasn't very impressed. Although the greenery seemed, well, _green,_ she could tell it wasn't well looked after. In fact, Mal had the sneaking suspicion someone had enchanted the grounds to look better than they were.

She'd made her way to the palace greenhouse; a large blue stained-glass structure with some of the rarest plants Mal had ever seen. Gorgeous flowers littered the greenery, an overhang of leaves creating a shaded alcove to the left of a small fountain decorating the centre of the greenhouse. It was peaceful, Mal found, despite the fact the climate for the plants was completely _wrong_.

Mal looked around, and in spotting no one, she made her way to the fountain. She ran her fingers through the surface of the water, an idea forming in her head. With a determination filling her, she began whispering words into the water. It had been her favourite incantation to learn, and the magic in her veins was begging her to cast it.

 _"Inique agis aqua statuere,"_ she began, repeating the incantation, _"Let the water fix whats wrong."_

A faint blue glow filled the ripples on the surface of the water, disappearing almost instantly. She smiled to herself, cupping her hands together and gathering some of the water. She made her way to a nearby flower, slipping out of her pumps to make sure she didn't spill any of the water. Then, she let the water trickle out of her hands and onto the flower.

Almost instantly, the red gardenia brightened, a few smaller ones sprouting around it. Mal smiled. _'That should do it,'_ she thought.

Growing up in The Moors, she had an appreciation for nature and all the beauty that came with it. Sure, although she was inherently evil, she bore no resentment to the earth, nor did her mother, really. Her first decree as Queen would be to fix all that was wrong with the forestry of The Moors, ensuring everything was green and flourishing and-

"Having fun?"

Mal jumped in shock, spinning round to find herself face-to-face with none other than Prince Ben.

"I-I was just," Mal stammered, composing herself quickly. _Think, Mal, think!_ "You have incredible specimens."

"The plants in here were one of my mothers passions," Ben admitted, looking around the greenhouse proudly, "Not many people find this place as enchanting as you have, however. It's a gift to be able to appreciate nature with a full heart."

"Shouldn't you be mingling with the other Royals?" Mal blurted out, knowing full well Evie would be dragging her away right that moment if she could. She was also _extremely_ aware of the fountain she'd just enchanted.

Ben laughed lightly, leaning back against the fountain and watching the bare-footed girl curiously, "None of this was my idea, you know."

"And why are you telling me that?"

"Because _you're_ the only one not trying to impress me," Ben smiled, pushing off the fountain and taking a step forward, extending his hand, "I'm Ben, without the formalities."

Mal hesitated for a few moments, finally extending her hand to meet his, "I'm Mal."

"From the Enchanted Forest, right?" Ben asked, trying to ignore how soft Mal's hand felt in his.

"The one and only," Mal indulged, removing her hand from his firm grasp, "Must be exciting; a whole summer of Princesses at your feet."

Ben sighed, his eyes training to the floor, "Again; not my idea. My father is convinced Auradon needs a Queen."

"Shouldn't the happiness of the only heir come first?" Mal asked.

Ben stared at her in awe, about to respond before the sound of fast-approaching footsteps interrupted him.

"Your Highness!" Cogsworth interrupted, rushing into the greenhouse and disrupting the peaceful atmosphere, "You must return to court at once!"

Ben sighed, turning to Mal, "I'll see you-"

Mal was gone, along with her shoes.

* * *

"You did _what?!"_

"Relax, he didn't suspect anything," Mal sighed, falling back onto her overly comfortable bed, "He's quite nice, actually."

"Don't go soft on me now Mal," Evie whined, "Are you _sure_ he didn't see you do magic?"

"One hundred percent," Mal confirmed, "We're fine. It's not a hostile spell, anyway."

Evie sighed, falling back onto the seat of her vanity, "We need to move quickly. Those princesses are _ruthless_. I've never been so intimidated in my life."

Mal smirked, "Alright then brainy. What's your plan?"

HROGHORHOGREJR

Ben couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious purple-haired beauty in the greenhouse.

It was as if the world had stopped moving when he felt her hand in his. The way she was so in-tune with the world around them made his heart beat faster, and he wasn't quite sure why. Sure, she didn't seem like a Princess at first glance, but he just _knew_ there was something more to her. Something below the surface, but Ben didn't know how to find it. Or how to talk to her.

"Doug?" Ben called from his study as he spotted the boy rushing past the open doorway.

"Your Highness," Doug greeted, walking into the room.

Doug had been a private friend of Ben's for quite some time. He didn't hold a royal title, but he was just as valuable to the royal family as his father was. He would become one of Ben's Royal Advisors when he took over the throne.

"What's the name of the Princess from the Enchanted Forest?" Ben asked, parchment and quill in hand.

"Evie White," Doug replied without hesitation, "Why do you ask, your Highness?"

Ben smiled, writing Evie's name on the parchment quickly, "I think I'd like a private lunch with her tomorrow, if you could arrange that?"

Doug forced a smile on his face, hiding his disappointment, "Of course, my King."

* * *

"Wake up, Squirt!"

Carlos De Vil jumped awake at the sound of his nickname, hitting his head on the low wooden ceiling above him. He rubbed his head in pain, climbing out of the alcove at the top of the barn he lived in. Brushing the hay off his clothes, he slid down the rope he used as a ladder, his feet landing soundly on the top floor of the two-storey barn. He rubbed his head to soothe the familiar pain as he peered down the banister of the top floor onto the main floor of the large white and red barn.

"What do you want Jay?" Carlos groaned tiredly, "If its not food, I'm not interested."

"It's better than food!" Jay called, waving a small brown bag in the air, "Come see!"

Carlos rolled his eyes, "Wait there."

He grabbed a small hay bale from a nearby stack, making his way down the two large ramps leading from the top floor to the bottom. He walked past Jay and towards the first animal pen, throwing the hay bale in.

"What is it Jay?" he asked, watching as the horses made their way to the hay quickly.

"Oh nothing, just our way out of Auradon," Jay smirked, pulling a golden amulet out of the bag.

Carlos' eyes widened, "And _who_ exactly did you steal that from?"

Jay shrugged, replacing the amulet in the bag and tucking it back into his jacket, "Some prince on the way to that Summer Court event."

"And it'll pay for just about half a ticket out of the Magic Kingdoms," Carlos realised, sighing in defeat, "About four more of those and we'll be set for maybe a week."

"Alright, no need to be smart," Jay mumbled, seating himself on a large hay bale. He picked up a long branch hidden beneath hay on the floor, pointing it to Carlos.

"Carlos De Vil; Royal Advisor," Jay began, "Any final words?"

"' _Royal Advisor?'_ Really?" Carlos laughed, grabbing a broken plank of wood leaning against the wall, "And exactly how do you think I could _ever_ get from a lowly stable boy to a Royal Advisor?"

"The same way I'm going to become a palace guard," Jay announced, jumping on top of the hay bale, "That's our happily ever after, right?"

Carlos smirked. It was true that the two boys were dreamers. Despite their parents horrid reputations, the two had plans to ascend into the Royal Court of Auradon, or well, dreams. Jay's father was a known thief in all the Magic Kingdoms, and when he abandoned Jay in the streets of Auradon at such a young age, Jay had no choice but to follow in his footsteps, stealing and lying to get by.

Carlos was from a similar background. His mother bred and provided the Royal Court with all of their animals from the comfort of her mansion in a distant kingdom, leaving Carlos in Auradon as a lowly stable-boy for the Royals of Auradon. He'd lived in the barn for as long as he could remember, using the attic as his home. When he'd met Jay, he'd offered his home to him, despite the humbleness of the barn. The two had been inseparable ever since.

Of course, no one in Auradon cared about their poor living conditions. Jay's father was a villain, and Carlos' mother had been rumoured to mistreat the animals she bred. No one wanted to acknowledge that their perfect little kingdom might not be so perfect after all.

"Want to know a little Summer Court secret?" Jay asked, waving the large stick around as a sabre, " _Allez_."

Carlos smirked, preparing his plank like a sword, "Do share."

"One of the girls?" Jay began, swinging his branch, "A witch. I tried to rob one of the carriages, and she-"

"Is that why you were limping the other day?" Carlos smirked, blocking Jay's attack, "Because you got defeated by a _pixie?!"_

"A very important looking pixie," Jay corrected, "Imagine the scandal in the court if they found out. A wielder of magic has _never_ been a royal. Fairy Godmother is the closest to it."

"Is that your idea of getting promoted from a thief into a guard? Blackmailing a pixie?" Carlos laughed, blocking another attack.

"Watch your footwork," Jay commented, watching Carlos' feet, "And no; but imagine telling the future King of Auradon that his Queen is a witch."

"That sounds like a plan based on assumption, Jay," Carlos scolded playfully, dodging another easy attack.

"A plan that could work," Jay concluded, using his branch to easily swipe Carlos' makeshift weapon from his hands, "I win. Again."

Carlos rolled his eyes, picking up the plank of wood, "I need to feed the horses. You coming?"

"Whatever," Jay shrugged, dropping the branch and burying his hands deep in his jacket pockets.

* * *

Mal awoke to Evie's high-pitched scream.

"What in the Moors?" Mal grumbled, shooting upright in her bed, hands sparking with magic.

"MAL!" Evie squealed, jumping up and down in the middle of the room, hair already perfectly curled and with a parchment in her hand, "You'll _never_ guess what!"

"New shoe delivery?" Mal joked as she relaxed her hands, earning herself a glare from Evie.

Evie simply opened the parchment, barely containing her excitement as she read aloud, " _'Prince Benjamin requests your Royal presence for a private lunch in the throne room.'_ "

Mal smirked in pride, yet something inside her dropped, "You duped the Prince after all. Go Evie."

"I didn't even speak to him!" Evie exclaimed, "He must've seen how _elegant_ and _sophisticated_ I looked."

"Because that's how it works," Mal teased playfully, flopping back into her bed, "I'm going back to sleep. Good-"

"Nope," Evie stated, ripping the bed covers away, "Absolutely not. _You're_ helping me decide what to wear."

Mal groaned, "Do I _have to?"_

"You're my lady in waiting, right?" Evie smirked, "So get out of bed and help me pick a dress."

"But we did this _yesterday."_

"I cannot and will not wear the same gown two days in a row."

Mal groaned, "Fine. But I'm going straight back to sleep afterwards."

* * *

"You're up early."

Mal groaned as she walked into the large palace kitchen, "Don't mention it, please. I'm barely standing."

Jane smiled at her, taking a seat opposite her at the kitchen table with a few other girls, "I'm Jane. You're Mal, right?"

"Am I that popular?" Mal smirked, watching in confusion as the palace staff scurried around them. Shouldn't they have the right to breakfast too?

"In all honesty, Audrey sent me to do some snooping," Jane confessed, peeling an orange daintily, "Thought I may as well do it at breakfast."

"Isn't it ridiculous we can't eat with them upstairs?" Mal asked, picking at her bowl of oatmeal, "Or that the rest of the palace staff can't dine with them."

"We aren't royals, and all the old families do it this way," Jane shrugged, "Besides, aren't you used to this? I mean, Audrey makes me eat with the rest of the staff back home most nights, unless she needs me to fetch her something during dinner."

Mal sighed, dropping her spoon into the bowl, "I guess things are different where I'm from."

"The Enchanted Forest, right?" Jane asked eagerly, eyes sparkling. She began lowering her voice, "Is it true you guys have magic?"

"Don't you?" Mal asked in confusion, "I mean, I know theres a whole prejudice thing about it with the whole Maleficent incident years back, but-"

"Don't say her name!" Jane hissed, leaning forwards cautiously, "Rumour has it that the birds might hear you."

"Okay…" Mal replied slowly, eyebrows furrowed in both confusion and amusement, "But don't you at least have magic? I mean, aren't you the daughter of Fairy Godmother?"

Jane sighed, "Mother never let me practice magic. She said _'the real magic is in our hearts',_ or something."

Mal snorted, "What a bore. No offence."

"None taken," Jane grumbled, "I mean, if I had magic, it would make life _so much easier."_

"So I'm assuming all magic books are banned or something?" Mal pried. Although she had her mothers spell book, she'd probably need something a little stronger to take down Auradon.

"They're just kind of rare around here," Jane explained, "I heard that the King keeps them locked at the back of the library. That, or you could always try Pulchra Library."

"The what now?"

"It's the oldest library in all of the Magic Kingdoms," Jane explained proudly, "It's on the other side of Auradon by the older villages. No one ever goes there because, well, there's no need with the newer books being published and sold in marketplaces. But I'm sure they've got magic books."

Mal smirked, standing from the table with a determined glint in her eyes, "Guess I know what I'm doing today."

"Hey! Wait!" Jane called as Mal marched towards the backdoor of the kitchen, leading out to the back of the castle, "I need to ask you about Evie!"

* * *

"So, tell me about the Enchanted Forest," Ben began, slicing up the meat on his plate.

"What do you want to know?" Evie asked with a smile, batting her eyelashes. Although she'd blown her cover with Chad, she refused to make the same mistake with the Prince.

"Anything you're willing to tell," Ben replied easily, a permanent yet gentle smile on his face, "Do you see your people often?"

"Not really," Evie sighed, "My mother doesn't believe in 'mingling.'"

"How so?"

"She's a little more… Reserved," Evie divulged, picking her words carefully, "She doesn't believe that royals should directly interfere with the normal lives of your subjects."

"Did your mother pick your court?" Ben asked, not truly echoing the Queen's sentiments. When he was King, he'd already decided that he would often visit his subjects, ensuring their happiness.

"More or less," Evie confessed, "She found Mal a little while back, actually."

"Oh really?" Ben asked curiously. Usually, your court would be people you'd known your whole lives, "So you didn't grow up together?"

"Our mothers knew each other when they were younger," Evie revealed, "But what about you? Must be exciting; King Of Auradon."

* * *

"Just here!" Mal called to the coachman as the small carriage came to a stop, "It's here, right?"

"Yeah," Jane nodded nervously, "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean-"

"Thanks," Mal called to the coachman as she hopped out of the carriage, "We shouldn't be long."

"Mal!" Jane called, hurrying after the purple-haired girl as she made her way to the library, "Don't go in alone!" , "Don't go in alone!" /span/p


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Pulchra Library**

The Library was much more than Mal could have ever expected.

A bright blue carpet decorated the floor, faded and worn by age, yet still held a brilliance to the colour; it had clearly been well-kept. The walls would have been a sand-coloured stone had it not been for the thousands of dark oak bookshelves that covered every inch of the library, some books even piled high on the floor, unable to fit in any nook or cranny. There was a singular window to the whole building; a large circular glass pane on the ceiling of the domed building, allowing direct sunlight to filter into the library. Few unlit candles had been placed on piles of books, but they were the only oddity in the library. There were no chairs nor tables, as if no one was welcome to reside in the library.

And although the building may have been centuries old, there wasn't a single speck of dust in sight. Mal couldn't begin to imagine how many books littered the two-storey building, or where on earth to begin.

"Can I perhaps help you?"

Mal jumped at the sight of the petite woman in front of her, appearing as if from nowhere.

The woman had light brown hair pinned back in a neat bun, and pristine, defined features. Although she wasn't elderly, there were a few wrinkles under her eyes. She was dressed in a long yellow silken dress with bell sleeves, no frills nor lace on the fabric, with a golden locket around her neck, the only sign of any sort of wealth in her demeanour. A pair of spectacles balanced at the tip of her nose, revealing shining blue eyes, matching the carpet almost perfectly. She didn't seem hostile nor unwelcoming, but something about her struck Jane. She'd seen those eyes before, but she couldn't quite place where.

"Just browsing," Mal replied plainly, earning herself a curious look from the woman.

"No one comes all this way just to browse my books," she stated, looking the two girls up and down curiously. She hadn't had any visitors in quite some time, "You don't strike me as Auradonians."

"We're not," Mal confirmed, scoffing at Jane's terrified expression, "And again; we're just browsing."

"Lying doesn't look good on a pretty face," the woman mused, scanning her own bookcases as is she were floating, "So; ancient tongues, hexes, or potions? Because I'm not quite sure I'm comfortable letting young girls browse hexes in my library."

"I'm sorry?" Mal asked in confusion.

"As I said, no one comes all this way just to browse my books," the Librarian sighed, grasping a leather-bound book and caressing it gently, "You're not guards, so you'd have no need for weaponry books. You're not mages, otherwise you would have been forthcoming or worn your covens crest. You're young, unthreatening, and perhaps gifted in magic?"

"Oh no," Jane stammered, "I-I don't-"

"Yes," Mal hastily confirmed, despite her better judgement to be weary of the woman, "We're looking for books about magic."

"I see," the woman nodded, turning to the two girls fully, "Now, to make myself clear; my library is _not_ a place for the Dark Arts. I am more than happy to help educate you in the _responsible_ way, but heed my warning; magic has consequences if used for evil."

"Understood," Mal agreed easily. The woman didn't need to know what she'd be plotting.

The Librarian eyed them for a moment before turning her back once again, the leather-bound book still in her grasp, "Follow me."

* * *

Mal had left the library with a single book in her hands, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a thin brown rope. The Librarian had been adamant that this was the first book she read, and had refused to show Mal or Jane the title until they had left the building.

The carriage ride back to the palace was filled with Jane's nervous rambling.

"We're going to be back before lunch ends, don't worry," Mal rolled her eyes, her fingers drumming excitedly on the brown paper, "I'm sure Audrey can survive a morning without her little servant."

"I am not her servant. I am a Lady-In-Waiting," Jane replied proudly, puffing her cheeks out, "Audrey is demanding because she's going to be the Queen of Auradon by the years end."

"And who says it's going to be Audrey?"

"Everyone," Jane scoffed, as if Mal had been living under a rock, "All the royal families favourite her for the throne; she would be the perfect Queen, of both Domino and Auradon."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because she's poised, elegant, polite, sweet," Jane began listing off, "And not to mention beautiful."

Mal furrowed her brows, "And how would that make her the perfect Queen?"

Jane paused. She'd always believed that Audrey, her one and only friend, would be the perfect candidate to the throne because Audrey herself had claimed to be just that. But what could Audrey offer to the people of Auradon?

"Evie is smart," Mal began, proudly sitting back, "She is everything you described Audrey to be, but smarter. She cares about people and things to an extent I could never understand. Her words match her deeds; if she swears by something, she'll do it."

Before Jane could reply, however, Mal was lost by the view of their carriage.

They'd taken a different route back to the palace, through the old Auradon villages. These were the first settlements of the kingdom, which now mostly consisted of famers homes and cottages. What surprised Mal, and soon Jane as well, was the _condition_ of the villages.

Auradon had always been a place known for its vast wealth and glamour, but this part of the kingdom seemed to have been completely forgotten. Mal watched the decaying roofs of the cottages pass by them as the carriage trotted through slowly, her breath caught in her throat as she saw echoed of her own kingdom in the villages.

The Moors had always had their own land to live off of, because although the kingdom had been cursed, the earth had still been fruitful. These villages, however… They were lost to time, yet still clung onto by the handful of people Mal had spotted, all dressed in drab colours and ripped skirts. She watched as mothers helplessly tried covering young children with oversized ripped cloaks, the material barely thick enough to shield anything from weather. The children, although in the poor conditions they lived in, still laughed and played in the street with a glee Mal had never permitted herself to feel.

"This is awful," Jane whispered, tears in her eyes, "I had no idea the kingdom lived like this."

"This is the kind of empire Audrey wants to run," Mal scoffed, her eyes unmoving from the scene around her.

However, one particular sight held her gaze.

A young girl, no older than thirteen, was hunched over an old well next to a decaying building. She had a bucket in hand, throwing it down into the well to collect water. However, upon retrieving the bucket with her rope, the bucket was empty. The girl began crying.

"Stop the carriage!"

Before the carriage could fully come to stillness, Mal had opened the door and jumped out, wobbly on the heeled shoes. With a huff, she removed the offending items, throwing them into the carriage before lifting her skirt slightly, making her way to the well.

"Mal!" Jane called behind her, but her call was unheard as Mal approached the girl. With a huff of her own, Jane climbed out of the carriage, approaching behind Mal cautiously.

Mal kneeled down by the girl, a smile on her face, "Hey; are you alright?"

"The well is dry," the girl blurted out, teary-eyed and clearly upset, "W-We have no water in the house, a-and the river is too far away and-"

"The well is dry?" Mal asked curiously, standing up and peering over its edge and looking down. While shielded away from the girls gaze, she gripped the edge of the well tightly, muttering a quiet incantation only audible to herself and Jane, who was now standing by her side. With a satisfied smirk, Mal turned back to the girl, "It doesn't look dry to me."

The girl looked into the well and gasped. Somehow, the well had filled right up to the top, only a few inches from the top of the stone base. The girl definitely wouldn't need the rope now, and quickly dunked the bucket inside the water, as if the water would disappear if she looked away for just a moment. She turned to Mal, the tears in her eyes now replaced with joy.

"How did you do that?!" the girl asked in awe, holding the bucket tightly to her chest. She gasped, "Are you a witch?"

"Not quite," Mal laughed, "Now go hurry back home."

Jane had watched the whole ordeal in silence, staring at Mal with newfound respect. Are these the acts that Mal was talking about? Are these the sentiments that differed a _Princess_ from a _Queen_?

In that moment, Jane was sure that if Mal had been of royal descent, she would have made a wonderful Queen.

* * *

"He's kind," Evie gushed, falling back onto her bed graciously as she explained the events of that lunch to Mal, "And gentle. He's a proper gentleman as well; he pulled the chair out for me and everything! I felt like a proper princess!"

"You are a proper princess," Mal indulged, lying on the bed next to Evie, her head by Evie's legs, "But this is a good sign; he's clearly interested in you if he wanted a private lunch with you."

"Yes, you'd think that," Evie smirked, turning to Mal, "Except for the fact that he kept asking about _you."_

"What?!" Mal exclaimed, shooting upright, "Why-"

"Apparently you made _quite_ the impression on the Prince," Evie teased, watching in amusement as her friend started blushing, "I didn't have much to tell him, of course, but turns out that _you_ might actually be the key to getting me on the throne after all."

"And how am I meant to do that?" Mal asked, pacing the room, "I mean; maybe he did see me use magic after all and is just trying to find out if I'm a threat? Or-"

"Mal, he asked me what your favourite colour was."

Mal groaned, rubbing her eyes in frustration, "We're done for."

"Not unless we use this to our advantage," Evie smirked, sitting up, "Although we don't actually have _proof_ that he's enamoured by you, imagine the scandal. _'Soon-to-be King in love with a fairy'. 'Prince Benjamin gives up his throne for love'._ Not to mention that if you can get into his good graces, you could _easily_ spell him."

"And that's why you're the princess in this scheme," Mal sighed, leaning back against a nearby chair, "Alright; fine. We'll continue as normal. Anything else?"

Evie remained silent, deciding not to tell Mal that Doug had escorted her back to her room after lunch, and that he'd commented on her eyes a few too many times for it to be simply friendship. Evie definitely also wasn't about to tell Mal that, maybe, the sentiments were returned.

"Didn't you go to that library today?" Evie asked, having heard rumours spinning by the kitchen staff.

"The book!" Mal gasped, rushing to her bedside table. She'd completely forgotten about the wrapped book; one she didn't even know the title of! "The Librarian insisted for this to be the first book I read on Magic. She wouldn't even let me see the title."

Mal brought the book over to Evie's bed, seating herself next to the girl as she began tearing through the brown paper. Once the book was unwrapped, Mal read aloud;

 _"'A Guide to Fae Magic: Practicing for Good,"_ the title read simply. Mal furrowed her brows in confusion, "How did she have known I was of fae blood?"

Evie shrugged, "Maybe a witch?"

Mal shook her head. Something had been off about the Librarian, but Mal couldn't quite place what. Nevertheless, Mal reclined herself back on Evie's bed, opening the leather-bound book as Evie began filtering through the closet, trying to find a dress for the evening.

Mal could get used to the Auradon life.

* * *

The Librarian sighed as she locked up the library, the sun setting in the distance. Although she often spent her days reading in the library until late, she'd decided to return to her home a little earlier that day. She tied her murky purple cloak at her neck, the wide hood concealing her face nicely, before beginning her walk home.

The air was warm despite the incoming night. The walk wasn't very far, either. She lived in one of the better-kept cottages in the old villages of Auradon; a quaint little building with enough roof still standing to shield her for the bitter winters, yet allowing enough sunlight to filter through at the break of day to awake her. Her cottage had always been filled with her favourite books, some written by herself. Ink stains decorated the wooden floor, or well, what had been left of it.

As she approached the village, however, something struck her.

Her neighbours all seemed gleeful, something she hadn't seen in a very long time. There were children on the path laughing and teasing each other, a curious sight in such a dreary land. She approached one of the adults calmly, asking what had happened to lift everyones spirits.

"The well is fruitful again," the woman smiled to the Librarian, "Little Dizzy Tremaine claims a girl with purple hair had somehow fixed it earlier this morning."

Ah.

The Librarian thanked the woman before heading for her cottage, avoiding everyones gaze. She'd always kept to herself for as long as she'd lived in the village, interacting with her neighbours only when needed. They knew her as the Librarian, as did everyone else in Auradon. Names were not needed when it came to her profession.

She closed the cottage door behind her, lighting a nearby candle and hanging her cloak on the singular hook by her door. Setting the candle on her desk, she pulled her leather-bound notebook out, followed by the most precious of golden ink. She only used that specific ink for important documents, and the Librarian had a feeling that this would be the most important of them all.

Turning to the first page, she dipped her quill in the ink, tapping off the excess before beginning to write in neat cursive;

 _The Princess of The Moors_

* * *

Dizzy had waited for her mother to be sound asleep in their little home before sneaking out of the glass-less window, cloak over her head as she ran through the forest in the dead of night.

She wasn't stupid; she knew _exactly_ where she was going. Being young and smart, she was often sought after for trade deals and on-foot travels or deliveries. Her biggest client? Captain James Hook; a retired pirate who'd love nothing more than to storm the royal palace and unleash hell on those who had revoked his sea licence. Dizzy, however, knew better than to be intimidated by the man.

Dizzy ducked under a number of branches, crawling through an opening in a set of shrubs before emerging on a path. She immediately turned left, running towards the docks of Auradon, otherwise known as Mermaid Harbour. Only those who required working at the docks truly adventured to Mermaid Harbour, but once again, Dizzy was _smart._

The path emerged just outside of the entrance to Mermaid Harbour, which was marked by a large wooden arch, the only land entrance through the stone walls surrounding the perimeter. Despite the late night, Mermaid Harbour was bustling with live, with sailors trading in the piazza of the small harbour, some arguing with tenants over rooms in their overnight hotels. Dizzy ducked through a narrow alleyway, going unnoticed as she made her way to the other side of the harbour.

She emerged right next to her destination; _Hook's Tavern._ The building was decrepit, with smashed glass on the floors outside of the tavern, and cracks in the walls that would worry anyone sensible enough to care. Dizzy, however, knew better than to be intimidated by the loud noises inside the tavern.

She opened the tavern doors with a loud creek, no one paying too much attention to her. The tavern was one of the favoured places for sailors and captains to drink, and Dizzy had made her face known in the building far too many times for anyone to be fazed by her young age. She made her way to the bar unbothered, even waving at some old friends as they got lost in their rum.

"Harry," Dizzy called sharply, causing the barman to turn to the girl sharply, "Is the Captain home? I have news."

"He's out for business, lass. He'll be back in the morning," Harry replied in a thick accent, shining the glass in his hands, "Bit of a long way for you to come in the dead of night. Go home."

"Give me a room for the night; it's too important to wait," Dizzy demanded, leaning forwards before whispering to her friend, "A girl fixed the well in our village."

Harry scoffed, leaning back and placing the glass underneath the counter. He placed his hands on the bar and leant forwards menacingly, "You want me to give you a room for the night just so you can tell my father that?"

Dizzy smirked, "She fixed it with _magic_ Harry; and she was on her way to the Auradon palace. I saw the carriage; she's from the Summer Court."

Harry Hook's eyes widened, a gleeful yet terrifying wide grin split across his face.

"Oh, you just wait until Uma hears about this."


End file.
